NASA tests lunar motor home for future astronauts

An unusual vehicle – a manned rover for a future lunar mission – is rolling in the dusty Arizona desert. It was developed at NASA specifically for the Artemis program, which envisions astronauts taking long hikes and camping away from the main lunar base. To do this, they need more than just a motorized cart, so engineers ended up designing a full-fledged lunar travel house on wheels.

The vehicle has a unique running system in which each wheel is controlled separately and has its own suspension. That’s why it can be lifted – for example, to “step” over a stone up to 30 cm in height. The rover is able to rotate on the spot, ride sideways and diagonally, move over rocks of different sizes and conquer not too steep slopes. At the same time, it has extremely simple joystick control, which has proven to be effective in tests.

Since moon trips are designed for several days, there are basic living conditions inside the rover, including sleeping places, a refrigerator and a toilet. During the first test, the test team spent three days and two nights inside, moving through the desert and performing various geological surveys as directed from the MCC. The rover is expected to go to the moon as part of the third part of the Artemis program in the mid-2020s.